IOS 18: Who else HATES the app library?

By Michael Dunn, 2 October, 2024

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

Hey y'all. So, on occasion, even if my phone's just sitting there on the home screen on let's say the Facebook app listening for a new item added to its notifications list ("1 new item"), sometimes it'll just randomly say, "App library". Once I'm in there, I LITERALLY CANNOT EXIT OUT OF THERE AND IT'S DRIVING ME SO INSANE I ALMOST THREW MY IPHONE ON THE FLOOR!
I've asked Siri to "Exit the app library" and it says "I can't help you with that.", and I pressed the Home button several times. Still there!!!!!!!!
GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!!!!!!! Has anyone figured out a solution to quickly exit the most SHTUPID thing in the world on the IPhone? From what I've researched many sighted people even hate the app library as well. According to what I looked up, the only way to exit the app library is to wait for the apps to jiggle. Huh????????????? That doesn't mean anything. How are you going to know with Voiceover if the apps jiggle?
Man this is so FRUSTRATING!!!!!! Appreciate any tips.

Thanks

Michael

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Comments

By Holger Fiallo on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

It happen with iOS 17 and several betas of 18. My issue if I open it, it is hard to close it.

By Gar on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

Hi,
It sounds like you're using an iPhone SE variant, is that correct?
I just tested this on my iPhone 15 Pro and had no issues. I was able to swipe up to go home, and a three finger swipe right took me out of the app library and to the previous page of my home screen.
Generally what's meant when people refer to apps jiggling is pressing and holding on them. For our purposes, acting as if we were trying to edit the home screen. But in that mode, there's no way to get out of the library with the rotor.
Sidenote: Have you tried exploring by touch? As I was typing this out my phone did say, "app library," at random, but exploring by touch I was able to determine I hadn't, in fact, entered it.
I hope this helps somehow.

By Michael Dunn on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

Yes, I have an IPhone SE because I SIMPLY CANNOT LIVE without the Home button. Using it without the Home button sounds like the scariest thing in the world. Especially the App switcher! I've been using a 4s since I first got 'duced to the IPhone in 2012, then upgraded to 6s in 2015. When we finally learned that Uber wasn't working in 2022 my dad bought me an SE to replace it, and he had them back everything up and put everything back on the new phone. So yeah.

By Matt92Machine on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

There are several bugs with the app library. The search function doesn't work, crashes the phone with voiceover, and sometimes the phone thinks you're still in the app library even when you've gotten out of it. The only way to fix this issue is to restart your phone after using the app library, and avoid using it until they fix it.

By Michael Dunn on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

That's super interesting, but at random times my phone switches TO the app library and I can't control that. Hopefully they'll fix this MOST ANNOYING BUG IN THE WORLD for their next IOS 18.x release.

By Gar on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

Michael,
I totally understand where you're coming from. When I got my iPhone XR back in 2019, I wasn't sure how I was supposed to manage without a home button. But it wasn't too difficult for me to adjust. When voiceover is running, you will get slight haptic feedback and an audio tone as you swipe, so you know what region your finger is in and what will happen if you release it.

By Michael Dunn on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

That's cool, but those little tiny staccato metallic notes are so hard to hear under Voiceover's speech that it seems a bit confusing how you're supposed to know what each little metallic sound means.

By Matt92Machine on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

Besides restarting your phone, you can try turning voiceover off and back on to see if that fixes the issue. I haven't tried that, but it might work. As for having no home button, you get used to it within about a week. I actually prefer having no home button now, I thought I would miss it, but Apple made it so easy to navigate without it.

By Michael Dunn on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

Of course, I did restart my phone and I don't remember that problem being fixed. And I feel like I have to be refreshed. Do you have to press and hold the lock button for 3 seconds to turn it on or can you just press it? I've always pressed/held it but I just want to be sure. Too bad there's no way to just restart your phone like you can do on a laptop (instead of manually shutting down THEN you don't know when it's safe to turn it back on). Does that command work with Siri? "Restart IPHone"?

By Tyler on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

You should be able to restart your iPhone using Siri, and can also create a shortcut to do so.

By Michael Dunn on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

Interesting. I'll try that.

By DMNagel on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

I just use the gesture that takes me to the home screen. The app library usually disappears for a small amount of time, before returning. To prevent it from returning, I simply put a finger anywhere on the screen and leave it there for a few seconds, probably a minute just to be safe. So, in short, press the home button, then immediately put a finger anywhere on the screen for a few seconds and see if it works for you. Normally, when you press the home button, or use the home button gesture, the app library will be gone for a few seconds and it is during that time that you will have to make your move, before it returns. Good luck.

By Daniel Angus M… on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

the sounds for the gestures replacing the home button are different pitches. when placing a finger for home, A sharp, for app switcher, F, and for control centre and notification centre, A sharp up the octive and F, respectably. as well haptic feedback is present. having perfect pitch manifests in interesting contexts, such as this post.

By Brian on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

This has got to be one of the more bizarre bugs encountered within iOS. Some people have this and some do not. It also seems to plague a variety of iPhone models.

For example, I am running an iPhone SE3, and I do, not, have this issue.

At all.

Yet I have read on here where others with both older model iPhones as well as the latest model(s) (see: iPhone 15x) have this issue.

My best advice would be to go to settings > general > transfer & reset, and reset your settings.

I know, I know, it is such a hassle, and nobody wants to take the time to manually go through and adjust the multitude of settings per app, etc.

Instead they want to restore a backup. . .

Guess what? The backup has the bug in it, 9 times out of 10.

So reset your settings, take the time to, manually, adjust the settings, and this should resolve the issue.

HTH. 🙂

By Michael Dunn on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

This is the COOLEST THING EVER!!!!! To me, my favorite people in the world are people with perfect pitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I use perfect pitch all the time! My sister and I pretty much talk in that language all the time and it really helps!!!!!!!!!!

By Gar on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

Hi there,
Voiceover usually doesn't speak when you're trying to swipe to go home, unless you leave your finger in place for an extended period of time, at which point it will tell you what you'll trigger if you lift your finger.
Like a poster above, it really only took me a week or so to get used to it, maybe less.
If you like, I can record a demo of using the gestures for going home, the app switcher and now, Type to Siri.

By Winter Roses on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

To be honest, I don't like the app library either. I think it's kind of redundant. I mean, all of the apps are now listed under the applications section in settings, so what's the point of this? I feel like it takes up unnecessary space on the device, and it becomes clustered. In my opinion, they should keep the apps listed in settings, and if you choose to hide an app, then, there should be a section in the settings, under application settings, that says, hidden apps. You don't need an entire section for that. Most people have their applications in folders, or randomly scattered on their home screen on different pages. They don't need a library to tell them what applications they have on their phone, or, at least, give us the option to customize this aspect of the device. Maybe some people like it, and others don't. I don't want to make general assumptions here, or to say it's not relevant or necessary. Yeah, I don't see the use for it myself, but I totally respect that others do.
Regarding using an iPhone without the home button, you're able to create gestures, or reassign gestures, to get to the home screen and the control center. That might be something worth looking into. That's the first thing I suggest to individuals, instead of trying to tell them to swipe up And feel for vibrations. Seems like the easier choice, if you ask me.

By kool_turk on Monday, October 7, 2024 - 20:15

For me, I only have apps on my home screen.

Everything else is either in the library, or I know the name of the app so I can use Braille Screen input to get to it.

No more hunting for apps.

The apps on my home screen are mainly the defaults that were already there, such as Weather, iTunes, notes, phone, etc.

By blusword on Monday, October 21, 2024 - 20:15

I will finish using an app on my phone and just put it down and leave it unlocked since it’s in a safe location and I come back in the app library is on the screen in my face. I don’t know how to get out of the thing with voiceover, I would like to see Apple give us the option to turn it off.